Snow falls as nor’easter strikes the North Fork

COURTESY PHOTO | A National Weather Service radar shows Wednesday night’s nor’easter as it hits Long Island.

Effects from an offshore nor’easter have begun to intensify Wednesday evening, making driving conditions dangerous and even bringing the first reported snowfall of the winter.

Current forecasts show the storm may dust the area with up to an inch of snow, with more snow for areas west of Southold Town, said Brian Ciemnecki, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Upton.

“We’re going to see snow for another couple of hours,” he said. “The best chance is that it’ll probably remain less than half an inch.”

The snow began just before the sun set as cooler air moved into the area, Mr. Ciemnecki said. The wintery mix is expected to be light throughout the night and should taper off by the afternoon, the latest forecasts show.

The storm is currently about 170 miles south-southeast of Montauk, Mr. Ciemnecki said, and will continue to move to the northeast through the night.

Winds should be slightly less than originally predicted, with sustained winds between 25 and 35 mph. Gusts could still reach up into the 45 mph range, he said.

The nor’easter will also bring a storm surge, though one not as bad as superstorm Sandy’s last week.

Road conditions are expected to worsen into the night. The poor weather already caused at least one accident on Route 58 in Riverhead Wednesday afternoon that sent a woman to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries, police said.